The screening panel is made up of individuals representing a cross section of the wider surf community. We are pleased to confirm the following panel members:
Tim Baker
Tim Baker is the author of several surfing books, including High Surf, Occy, and Bustin' Down The Door, and a former editor of Tracks and Surfing Life magazines.
"The first Yallingup Surfilm Festival was a high water mark in surfing's cultural renaissance, showcasing a great upwelling of creative talent in one of the most beautiful coastal environments in the world."- Tim
Jake Paterson
Hailing from Yallingup, Western Australia, Jake Paterson is a former Top 10-ranked pro with a string of ASP victories under his belt, among them the coveted Pipeline Masters in 1998. Nicknamed “Snake,” he enjoys big waves and heaving tubes.
"Surf movies today can change your life! They can change the way you live your life, change the way you want to surf, change what surfboard you ride, can open your mind to new places and new adventures!! Most of all it can make things that you simply thought couldn't be done all of a sudden possible!! "- Jake
Taylor Steele
One of the most innovative and influential surf filmmakers of this generation, Taylor has over 20 years experience and more than two dozen films to his name. Taylor has won the Surfers Poll Awards, Reader's Choice Awards, X-Dance's Best movie and director award and the prestigious Beacon Award, to name but a few....
"There are so many different types of surfers which makes it great to have different styles of films. My favorite films make me feel the same stoke of surfing. After I watch a great film, I'm proud to be a surfer."- Taylor
Jon Frank
Jon Frank's twenty year career has seen him work as a photographer and cinematographer across all corners of the globe. In 1996 he filmed and directed surf film Litmus and more recently shot the award winning documentary Musica Surfica. Jon's photography has featured on magazine covers across the world and has been exhibited in Slovenia, Portugal, USA and here in Australia. He has won numerous awards, including Photo of the Year at the 2007 Surfer Poll and Video Awards (USA) and the 2008 Australian Surfing Awards.
"Surfing has matured a lot and now doctors, lawyers, teachers, tradesmen, people from all walks of life enjoy riding waves. Surf films and photography reflect the depth that surfing now demands."- Jon
Richard Todd
Richard Todd is a multi-award winning documentary maker from Margaret River. After spending many years filming marine life around the world, he found himself filming Shapelle Corby in a Bali gaol for 3 years. Most recently he followed Tom Carroll and Ross Clarke-Jones around on a mission to surf big bombs in NZ, in Storm Surfers for Firelight Productions.
“Gone are the days of endless re-entries, Santana and American narration (which was pretty cool)... surf films in the 21st century are matching other genres now for the depth in story telling, production expertese and creative nuances.” - Richard
Ian Regnard
Ian Regnard has been a surf photographer for the last twenty years and these days concentrating on shooting more black and white and color projects for exhibitions. His work has seen him collaborating during all this time with his brother and winning last year the International Photographer of the year in the 'special' category with underwater Polaroid images.
"Film is a narative like no other! what I am looking for is something more than just skin deep where feelings run deep either with people or nature and using great directing skills to tell the story..." - Ian
Damon Eastaugh
Damon Eastaugh is a two time winner of the Oakley ASL big wave awards and winemaker for Margaret River's Flying Fish Cove Winery.
"Filmmaking on surfing can transcend the experience beyond surfers and add to the experience for surfers - like Winton's novel Breath" - Damon
Claire Bevilacqua
Claire Bevilacqua has been a pro surfer on the womens world tour for almost 10 years, she competes full time.. Born and raised in Perth, she has a great love and passion for WA, a healthy lifestyle, and the planet’s environment. Claire is a major movie buff and films and edits her own mini movies on the road.
“The good thing about surf movies these days is that people are going to the ends of the world to document our beautiful planet and are not afraid to cover issues in the past that were unchartered or swept under the rug.”- Claire
Lizzie Nunn
Lizzie Nunn has been a surfer for 24 years and learned to surf during an era where women weren't so welcome in the line up. Times have changed and the ex-writer for Tracks, Surfing World, Shred Bett and Surf Girl who was also the National Women's director for Surfing Australia is stoked on the progress of women's surfing in the water and presence in media and film.
"Naturally, I am thrilled that surf flicks now include women's surfing. And to think there are now stand-alone girl surf films is just out of this world and something we would never have dared to imagine back in the day of men's only wetties, desert boots, black jeans and duffle coats. Simply awesome". - Lizzie
Drew Kampion
Drew Kampion is a former editor of Surfer, Surfing, and The Surfer's Path magazines and the author of several books on surfing and waves.
"Film is the artform of the age, and surf films have more art and form than most." - Drew
Alex Dick-Read
Alex Dick-Read started The Surfer's Path magazine 14 years ago in the UK and moved back to his original home in the Caribbean four years ago. He lives on a hill above the waves and enjoys a life full of family, fun and seemingly endless deadlines. He's a regular foot and is still, after all these years, obsessed with the inner space of curling waves.
“Surf films right now are more fun, more interesting, more technical, more home brew, more Hollywood, more artistic, webtastic, radical, kooky, corporate, grassroots – they're more varied than at any time in the history of making films about this strange addiction. And that's as it should be, because so is surfing in the early 21st century. Good, eh?” - Alex
Doug Lees
Doug Lees has been the publisher of Surfing World magazine since 1998. He also has published many surf books including, Thrust - The Simon Anderson Story, The 9th Wave, Badlands and Archipelago.
"As someone who has seen much of my life documenting surfing culture, surf films are particularly important, as they represent visual time capsules of surfing's most influential moments." - Doug
Tom Wegener
Tom Wegener has been a surfboard shaper for over 30 years: He was Surfing Magazine's shaper of the year 2009. He has featured in many surfmovies including Sprout, Siestas & Olas, Lines from a Poem, and a Deeper Shade of Blue. Tom is a well known surf journalist and film maker.
“Surfing is a huge universe within itself. It is more than just riding waves. It is a lifestyle. As there are many different types of surf craft, there are different ways people live the surf lifestyle. I hope to go on some journeys into other surfer's lives.” - Tom
